smitten

I'm absolutely smitten with Gili Trawangan. This little island is everything I wanted but not what I expected. A pleasant surprise. The locals are friendly, the other tourists are respectable, the food is incredible, the water is crystal clear and it's always warm. I had committed to walking to the top of the island today. Just as I was going to head out the door it started raining. I am pretty sure it was a monsoon; it was that bad. The dirt roads turned into little rivers and the sky was the most miserably gray. For those who don't know me personally, there are few things I dislike more than rain. It subsided eventually, but the clouds hovered. I decided to walk up for the sunset anyway.

It seems whenever I overcome something that's frustrating, the universe gifts me a little treasure. Because of the clouds, the sunset was nothing special, but on my way down the hill I saw a little girl dancing in her yard. Here was a girl, who, by my country's standards, probably falls far below the poverty line, dancing around. Despite the rain, despite the mud, despite the gray clouds, despite all the hardship in her life, she was dancing. And it was so beautiful.

Smitten, I tell you.